Don’t rip up your season tickets! Why Paul Lambert ‘staying’ at Aston Villa is no pointer to the future

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert held talks with owner Randy Lerner in the States at the weekend (Picture: Getty Images)

There may be a ‘for sale’ board outside Villa Park – but there’s another sign plastered across it marked ‘business as usual’.

Twitter went into meltdown on Monday as news emerged that Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert’s job was safe – although most outlets added the caveat ‘for now’.

‘They can kiss my season ticket renewal goodbye’, ‘destined to play Championship football’, ‘can’t see nothing but relegation’ and ‘similar to a swift kick in the nuts’ were some of the politer responses.

Nothing has been said – certainly not publicly – that guarantees his position for next season. All we know is he’s not being sacked just yet.

Randy Lerner would not entertain paying out compensation to a manager while he’s trying to sell the club, particularly not someone he gets on so well with.

There’d also be no point in adding to the confusion just to placate those supporters who believe the Scot is toast.

He may still be. A new owner might want to review the management situation.

Randy Lerner is selling Villa – but a new owner is yet to be found, according to Lambert (Picture: AP Photo)

On the other hand, Lambert may have been given private assurances that his job is safe no matter who runs the club come August. For many that would be like sealing our fate before a ball is kicked.

But Lambert’s role is a bit of a red herring at present. A new owner is required before a new manager.

We may well need both, to give a jaded club the fresh start it needs. But without direction and ambition from the top, a new man in the dugout will be doomed from he start.

Personally, I’m relaxed about Lambert. I won’t spend weeks in mourning if he goes – it’ll give us a chance to unite behind a new man – but if he is still in charge in August, I won’t be feeling like I’ve been given a sharp knee in the knackers either.

What I want is for someone to buy my football club and show they care as much as we do.

That means getting some football knowledge on the board, sticking the right man in the dugout – be that backing Lambert or replacing him – and then supporting their guy with sufficient funds required to improve the team.